Pipe grip



C. A. JOHNSTON.

PIPE GRIP.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. I4. 1921.

Patented Oct. 31, 1922.

Patented Oct. 31, 1922.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PIPE GRIP.

Application filed September 14, 1921. Serial No. 501,545.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I CARLTON A. JOHN- STON, a citizen of the UiiitedStates, residing at New Rockford, in the county of Eddy and State ofNorth Dakota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in PipeGrips, of which the following is a specification, reference being had tothe accompanying drawin s This invention re lates to devices for use indrilling wells, and particularly to a pipe gripping member adapted to beused for supporting strings of pipe in well drilling operations, as forinstance when a new section of pipe is to be screwed into a lowersection of pipe.

The general object of the invention is to provide a very simple, strongand effective pipe grip which maybe readily gripped around a pipe, andwhich, when gripped around a pipe, will fit the same firmly and preventany downward movement of the pipe.

A further object is to provide a device of this character formed in twosections detachably engaged with each other so that the sections, whichconstitute jaws, may be opened for placing around the pipe and thenclosed to secure gripping engagement with the pipe, the pipe grip beingof such character that when it is tilted it will bind upon the pipe andwhen it is disposed in a plane atright angles to the pipe it will notbind thereon but may be slipped up and down on the ipe.

y invention isiillustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure1 is a top plan view of a pipe gripping memberconstructed in accordancewith my invention;

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the construction shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a top plan view of a modified form of the pipegrippingmember;

Figure 4 is a detail sectional view of the blade 26. j

Referring to these drawings, it will be seen that the pipe gripcomprises a body portion formed of two jaw members 10 and 10, thesemembers being detachably engaged orpivoted to each other, as will belater described, and when together being circular in plan to define acentral aperture 11. The body 10 is formed with two oppositely disposed,protuberant portions 12 and 13 constituting ears, and a protuberantportion which is perforated, as at 15. The section 10 is formed with anear 16 apertured for the reception of the shackle hook 17. The ears 12and'13 are disposed belowthe outer face of the section 10, thusproviding shoulders 18, and detachably engaged with. the. car 12, as bythe pin 25, is the section 10, the pin 25 constituting, when desired, apivot upon which the two sections or jaws 10 and 10 mayswing to open orclosed position. This section is formed with a semicircular recess 22 onone face. The opposite end of this jaw section 10 is perforated for thepassage of a screw or pin 20. Mounted upon the outer face of thissection 10 is the semi-circular blade 26, the inner edge of which isbeveled to form a knife edge 27, this blade being held in place byscrews 28. The opposite face of the section 10 is also provided with asemi-circular blade 29 held in place by screws or other suitable means,the inner edge of this blade being also beveled.

It will be seen from Figure 1 that these blades are set so that theinner margins or edges project beyond the opening 22 so that thedistance between the cutting edges of these blades 26 and 29 is lessthan the diameter of the opening 22. The shackle 17 affords a convenientmeans of supporting this pipe grip when out of use or when lowering pipeinto a well, and the aperture 15 permits of a hook, cable or otherhandling device being applied to the opposite side of the pipe grip whenlowering pipe into a well.

In use, the jaw 10 is opened, a pipe inserted through the opening 22,and after the pipe grip has been shifted upon the pipe to anyextentdesired, the jaw 10* is closed and fastened by means of the pin 20. Itis to be understood that the pin 25 is also detachable so that the twosections or jaws 10 and 10 may be entirely disengaged from each otherfor placing in position around the pipe and afterwards engaged by meansof the pins 20 and 25, or that either pin 20 or 25 may be removed andthe other pin used as the pivot upon which. the jaw main may be raised,lowered or supported in any desired position.

In Figure 3, I show a slight modification of the constructionillustrated in Figure 1.,

wherein there is an annular body 30, tothe opposite faces of which areattached ,the blades 81 and'32, these blades being such have beenheretofore described, the blades being fastened'in place by the screws33. Thisbody 80 is providedwith the oppositely disposed ears 3e and 35,to oneof which ears the shackle 36 is connected, This'constr'uctionoperates in the same manner as the construction illustrated in Figure 1,except that it does not open. c I

In both the constructions illustrated in Figure land that illustratedinFigure 3 I have provided a body having a circular aperture and havingsemi-circular blades attached onopposite faces of the body andconfronting each other. In one case, ;ho wever, the body is formed'intwo sections; In the other case,.-the'body is formed in one section. j

One of the advantages of the constructionshown in Figure 1, is that itis designed to open and look around a pipewith a pin such as shown at20, so that it cian'betaken oil at any time without being; slippeduoverthe end of the pipe. For instance the j aws may be opened to embracethat portion of the pipe projecting out of the well andthen the aws maybe closed and the pin 20 may be inserted. The pipe grip may then belowered into the well to any desired point, a flexibleconnectionbeingattached to the ear 14: and to the shackle 17 so, that the pipe grip maybesupported in. a plane at right angles tov the. axis of the pipe. Afterthe pipe grip has been lowered to a suitable degree, cable maybeconnected to the shackle 17 by meansof a block andtackle, for thepurpose oflifting the pipe out the well. It will be noted that theblades 26 and 29 are disposed on opposite faces ofthe body of the grip,so that when the cable is tightened, the grip will tilt, and inasmuch asthe blades are on oppositesides of the body, their biting edges will.securely bite into the pipe, making it impossible for the grip toslip,,then the pipe may be raised. When the cable is loosened, the gripwill slide down upon the pipe, in orderthatthe grip may take anotherhold, the cable may then be again tightened, and the pipafurther liftedfrom the well. Both pinsQO and 25 are for the purpose of holding thejaws detachably engaged with each other. In

case a pipe is lost in the well, a cable may be connected to the shackle17, and a wire fastened in the opening 15 of the lug 14, and with thetwo jaws in the positions shown in Figure l, the grip may be loweredinto the well, and manipulated "untilthe end of the pipe passes betweenthe jaws, then the wire v(not shown) which connects to the lug 14:, maybe slackened and the cable (not shown) tightened, in which case the gripwill bite into the pipe, whereby it may be raised lrom'the well. Inother words the lug 14 is for the purpose of lowering the grip into asmall curb well for catching a lost pipe. Alsothe grip may be used forlowering and liftingpipesin a well. 7 I

1.. A pipe grip of the character described comprising a body havingopposite poi tio'ns defining a central, circular aperture, asemi-circular blade having a cutting edge disposed upon one face ofthebody, thecutting edge projecting slightly beyond the aperture, asemi-circular blade applied to the opposite face of thebody andprojecting slightly beyond the aperture on the opposite side from thefirst named blade. 4 i

2. A pipe grip of the character described comprising twosemi-circular'jaws, saidjaws defining manual aperture, a semi-circularblade. attached to one face of one of the jaws and having its inner edgebeveled and projecting beyondthe wall ofthe aperture, a semi-circularbladecarried by. the other jaw and disposed on the face of the jaw opeposite to the face of the firstnamed jaw having' the blade thereon, saidsecond named blade projecting inward beyond the circular aperture, andmeans for holding the jaws in operative position.

3. .p pegrip of the cliaracted described comprising-abody having twosemi-circular v jaws together defining a circular opening, asemi-circular blade attached to one face of one of the jaws andprojecting beyond the opening, .a semi-circular blade attachedto theopposite face of the other jaw and pro- A,

jecting beyond the opening, theopposite endsofthe jaws having aligningperforation s,and pins insertible through said perforations to holdthejaws in locked engagement with each other, one of the jaws beingadapted for engagement with a flexible connection. r

4.; A pipe grip of the character described comprising a body formed oftwo opposed,

semi-circular jaws'together defining a c rcular opening, a semi-circularblade attached to one face ofone of the jaws and projecting beyond theopening, a semi-circular blade attached to. the opposite face of theother jaw and projecting beyondthe openthe jaws-toeach other, and a'pindetachably engaging the other ends of both jaws .ing, a pin pivotallyconnecting like ends of from the first named pin and holding theopposite faces of the body and confronting jaws in locked engagementwith. each other, each other and projecting slightly beyond each of saidjaws having a laterallyprothe-aperture, and a shackle attached to the 10jecting, perforated lug. body. I

5. A. pipe grip of the character described In testimony whereof Ihereunto my comprising a body formed With a central signature. aperture,semi-circular blades disposed upon CARLTON A. JOHNSTON.

